Printing material cartridge and printing material supply system

Abstract

A printing apparatus has a cartridge attachment section including a terminal block having apparatus-side terminals disposed on its inclined surface, and a printing material supply pipe. Among the apparatus-side terminals, one apparatus-side ground terminal located on their center in Y direction is protruded to a greater height than the other plural apparatus-side terminals. A printing material cartridge has a circuit board, a printing material supply port, and a board mount portion that is inclined at an acute angle relative to a plane extended from an opening face of the printing material supply port. The circuit board is arranged such that one cartridge-side terminal on the circuit board comes into contact with the apparatus-side ground terminal prior to the other cartridge-side terminals in the process of attachment of the printing material cartridge to the cartridge attachment section. This arrangement enables the printing material cartridge to be attached in an adequate correct orientation or alignment to the printing apparatus. This arrangement also reduces the possibility of failure caused by application of a high voltage to the circuitry of the printing material cartridge.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application claims the priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-197320 filed on Sep. 3, 2010, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Technical Field[0003]The present invention relates to a printing material cartridge and a printing material supply system including the printing material cartridge and a printing apparatus.[0004]2. Related Art[0005]Some recent printing material cartridges have a circuit (circuit element), such as a memory device for storing information about a printing material (for example, remaining amount of ink). See JP-A-2003-011390, JP-A-2007-230249, and JP-A-2005-144723, for example. Upon attachment of the printing material cartridge to a printing apparatus, a plurality of terminals on the printing material cartridge adapted to contact with a plurality of apparatus-side terminals of the printing apparatus. This electrically connects the ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]An object of the invention is to provide a technique that enables a printing material cartridge to be attached in an adequately correct orientation or alignment. It is also desired to provide a technique that reduces the possibility of failure by application of an unexpectedly high voltage to the circuitry of the printing material cartridge.

Problems solved by technology

Especially with recent size reduction of the individual terminals, there is an increased possibility of failed or insufficient connection between the plurality of terminals of the printing material cartridge and those of the printing apparatus, due to inadequate orientation or alignment of the printing material cartridge.

In the course of attachment of the printing material cartridge, there is a possibility that an undesired high voltage is applied to the circuitry on the printing material cartridge.

Application of the undesired high voltage to the circuitry on the printing material cartridge may cause a failure in the circuitry on the printing material cartridge.

Adhesion of dust or ink may cause a short circuit between the high voltage terminal and the low voltage terminal and lead to apply an undesired high voltage to the low voltage terminal.

In the actual state, however, small clearances are present between the contact portions on the circuit board and the terminals on the printing apparatus and their peripheries and tend to suck the ink by capillarity.

When the contact portions on the circuit board adapted to contact with the terminals on the printing apparatus, the friction-induced static electricity tends to suck the dust.

In the above arrangement, when dust or ink adheres across the high voltage terminal and the low voltage terminal, there is a high probability that the adhesion area of dust or ink includes the terminal for overvoltage detection.

There is, however, a high probability that the adhesion area of such long, thin dust includes the ground terminal.

As discussed above, even when dust or ink adheres to the circuit board in any state, the arrangement may prevent the circuitry from being damaged, or prevent the memory device from being damaged when the low voltage terminal is connected with the memory device, by application of an undesired high voltage, with significantly high probability.

Adhesion of dust or ink may cause a short circuit between the high voltage terminal and the low voltage terminal and lead to apply an undesired high voltage to the low voltage terminal.

In the actual state, however, small clearances are present between the contact portions and the terminals on the printing apparatus and their peripheries and tend to suck the ink by capillarity.

When the contact portions come into contact with the terminals on the printing apparatus, the friction-induced static electricity tends to suck the dust.

In the above arrangement, when dust or ink adheres across the high voltage terminal and the low voltage terminal, there is a high probability that the adhesion area of dust or ink includes the terminal for overvoltage detection.

There is, however, a high probability that the adhesion area of such long, thin dust includes the ground terminal.

As discussed above, even when dust or ink adheres to the circuit board in any state, the arrangement may prevent the circuitry from being damaged, or prevent the memory device from being damaged when the low voltage terminal is connected with the memory device, by application of an undesired high voltage, with significantly high probability.

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